Chapter 282 - The Last Athletic Competition (1)
[Abyssus]
[???]
[???]
“I can’t do this.”
Kang Shin-hyuk frowned as he looked at the longsword quenched by darkness and despair, made by the Anvil of the past. How could he use this armament, whose ability was unknown? Although it was in a previous life, the fact that he didn’t know its ability despite making it meant that not only had it exceeded the current limit, but it had completely transformed or evolved into something new. Of course, the initial stats it had when he completed it could be recalled from his memories. It was...
[Dispalor]
[SSS]
[Special Abilities: Dream, Dark Stain, Demon]
*Dream: Bring everyone in contact with the sword into an inescapable dream. The more they fall into their dreams, the more reality rots.
*Dark Stain: Everything becomes dark. You can use the power of darkness freely and become stronger than anyone in the dark, but when it is over, you will be completely stained with darkness.
*Demon: Cultivates the evil in the heart. It greatly weakens all perceived enemies and makes them mentally vulnerable. It eats when the mind is completely broken.
“Kahak!”
Kang Shin-hyuk didn’t want to think back to those memories, but he had to. He could tell how serious Anvil’s mental state was when making this weapon, but what was even scarier was that the weapon had undergone such a transformation that even its name changed. He couldn’t dare to imagine what sort of advanced abilities it had now.
“But it’s clear that I can’t use this in the competition...”
It would result in someone’s death. This sword was a monster that had the potential to create magi at any time. It was too harsh of a weapon to use against humans, although it might be effective against demons. Kang Shin-hyuk quietly put it back into his inventory and thought of the Excalibur that Oh Joo-young had left behind. He had collected two of them while he was in Africa. He still hadn’t been able to conquer Despair yet, as Oh Joo-young’s will still remained strong in it, but the other one was rather easy to handle.
“Hmm... Let’s make a new one with this.”
Kang Shin-hyuk sat down, grabbing the fragment of the lava greatsword as he concentrated. He could feel the power of Oh Joo-young contained in it. A faint thought outstretched from it to pollute him, but it was a fun challenge for someone who possessed SSS-rank spiritual power. He scoured the roots of the sword with no difficulty. At its base, Oh Joo-young’s trait was a typical fortification-based trait that had some connection with Kang Shin-hyuk’s Guardian Golden Dragon. Although it was limited to swords, it evolved them beyond their limits. In particular, that power was strengthened to exceed the current limit after it mingled with the demons.
‘No, but I want both.’
Excalibur, the holy sword of light created by Oh Joo-young as a human, and Excalibur, the sword of despair, twisted by the one who became a demon. Both of them were abilities inscribed in his soul, so Kang Shin-hyuk would be able to draw them out. Not now, but it would be possible by collecting more of the swords that had been imbued with Excalibur.
‘The power in this sword is the heat from an erupting volcano, the pure spirit of fire... Even with this, it won’t be difficult to aim for SSS+ rank.’
Kang Shin-hyuk entered his My Room. The Furnace of Nephritis was too huge and colorful for him to put anywhere else. He set it up, putting in all the orbs. He was planning on making a sword of fire, so using the brazier would lead to an incredible result. He ran his hand over the anvil a few times before raising the hammer.
“Whoooo...”
-Would you like to ask the young fox for a rune? I don’t like it, but her skills have grown remarkably.
“She might get overwhelmed by Oh Joo-young’s thoughts. I took control, but she’s different. So, after smelting it and removing all traces of him, I’ll ask her.”
-You already planned it out.
After thinking about how to work the material, a spark flashed in his mind. Wasn’t there a peculiar metal he had acquired from Cy Xenon? It was given to him by Shin Eunah. It was originally a metal imbued with magi, but it had mutated from her lightning. Taking it out of his inventory, it splattered golden sparks in his hand.
[The Palm of the Thunder God]
[SSS]
[Originally a collection of mighty magi, it absorbed an absurd amount of lightning and mutated. It is a very heavy and hard metal that absorbs energy and converts it into electricity.]
It was similar to the Great Heavenly Spirit, but its limitations were clear. Still, there was no better weapon material.
-That sword piece has the property of fire, and this metal has the property of lightning. Are you thinking of combining them?
“It’s okay to keep the fire, but that’s no fun. Electricity also contains enormous thermal energy. At least, it won’t hurt it.”
Kang Shin-hyuk blindly threw the two objects into the furnace and pulled out his other materials. The bones and blood of the giant fire lizards would go in. He had the heart he had acquired too, but it still wasn’t usable.
“Just that too... No, no. I can’t beat myself up.”
Compared to then, his skills had increased a lot, but he wasn’t capable of dealing with it yet. He planned to use the crest obtained from the basilisk before, too, so he decided to leave it be. What mattered now was the bones and blood of the fire predator that would enhance the sword handle and protect it from heat. Having prepared all the materials, Kang Shin-hyuk started working. The metals were durable, but they melted easily in the Furnace of Nephritis.
“Okay then, in the meantime...”
With a hammer and chisel, he trimmed the bones. Some went into the furnace to enhance the materials, while the largest bone was used to create the base of the sword. It made a sleek handle of about 50 centimeters, with a sharpened guard. Kang Shin-hyuk, having put in plenty of spiritual power and Golden Dragon energy into it, placed it in a mold and poured molten metal over it. When the sword was properly hardened, he quenched it in blood. On the outside, it seemed like he was simply forging a weapon, but he was expending a tremendous amount of power. The Flame of Nephritis was even more important, as it continued to spew out power as he worked. Kang Shin-hyuk was sublimating the various different materials together into something new using that flame.
-Hwaaah!
By the time the quenching was finished, the blade had become blood red. It had a mysterious look to it, as the occasional sparks sputtered off of it, also depicting a dark, reddish color. However, the work wasn’t over. Kang Shin-hyuk started grinding down the sword, not using a grinder by his light mastery. The sword’s strength was excellent, and it absorbed all types of energy as a result of the metal Shin Eunah had made. No matter how fine the mana stone, even a magic polisher wouldn’t be capable of sharpening it. Therefore, he had to use a light powerful enough to surpass its absorption.
-Jiiyiiing!
The room was filled with violent sounds as he ground the blade. It couldn’t be helped as he had to use that much energy to work on the sword. The work continued for hours, and Kang Shin-hyuk deliberately collected the debris that fell off during the polishing process. He could ask Lee Na-hee to use it during the rune enchantment. Finally, the light disappeared from his hand, and only a crimson-edged greatsword remained.
-Kzzzt, kzzt!
The red sparks became more intense, and Kang Shin-hyuk was vaguely worried that it could ignite the entire area if not controlled. He still had a deadline to work with Lee Na-hee... He first called up the system message to check out the ability of the sword.
“Uh...”
Depending on the result of the enchantment, he recognized this sword might also not be usable in the competition. Kang Shin-hyuk left his My Room with a half-cry.
Time passed, and the athletic meet eventually started in full force.
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